The Journeys Within Our Community Team
Founders
Brandon and Andrea Ross
Brandon and Andrea Ross moved to Cambodia in 2002 and started Journeys Within Tour Company and B&B, based in Siem Reap Cambodia. Over the next year they traveled throughout Southeast Asia and started running tours to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and eventually Myanmar. Guests staying at Journeys Within B&B in the early days asked how they could help and Brandon and Andrea started working with local schools and projects as well as running a Give and Take tour. In 2005 they took this community involvement a step further and hired John Walsh as the JWOC Director and registered Journeys Within Our Community as a 501c3.
Volunteer Executive Directors for JWOC, the Ross' have been described as “Pioneers in Philanthropic Travel” and believe that travel and business should have a positive impact on the communities visited. Andrea speaks across the US promoting philanthropic travel and the idea of empowered giving. They have two children, Callie and Couper who have grown up in Cambodia. Andrea and Brandon now split their time between their offices and home in Southeast Asia and visiting the grandparents in California.
Staff
Managing Directors
Camilla McArthur
Camilla’s interest in sustainable development has its roots early in her life. This interest led her to study an undergraduate degree in Anthropology at Durham University and a Masters in Human Rights at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies (University of London). During her Masters she worked extensively with refugees and asylum seekers in the UK.
Since graduating, Camilla has involved herself in a variety of different fields. Having spent a year in London at an international consultancy focusing on vulnerable workers’ rights and ethical trade, she moved to Morocco to coordinate a social capacity building project for an Italian NGO. As a CELTA qualified English teacher Camilla spent over a year teaching in Viet Nam in 2007/2008. During this time Camilla also worked closely with a local shelter for at-risk girls, building the capacity of the local staff, assisting them with fundraising, and coordinating volunteers. Camilla aims to use her training and skills to secure basic human rights through small-scale participatory based projects.
Andrew Piner
Since completing an undergraduate degree in History from Durham University (UK) and a Masters in Critical Security Studies at The University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Andrew has worked in a number of different areas. He began his career as a political analyst, writing about issues related to the Middle East. He has also devoted a lot of his academic studies and personal time since university researching and writing about the Israeli Palestinian conflict.
Since leaving the UK Andrew has coordinated and run projects in Morocco and Viet Nam focusing on social capacity building and sport for development respectively. Andrew has a long-standing interest in the idea of Sport for Development given his love for tennis and other sports since he was a child. In Viet Nam Andrew also trained to become a CELTA qualified English language teacher and subsequently taught English to adults and children for a year in Ho Chi Minh City.
Camilla and Andrew have been married since 2006. They share a commitment to working in development, and are using their skills and passion to assist in and promote sustainable change around the world.
Office Manager, Bookkeeper and Education Promotion Officer
Vantha Kuon
Vantha joined JWOC in February 2009 and has taken his place as an invaluable member of staff through his hard work and dedication to community work. Vantha manages the daily running of the JWOC Community Center in Siem Reap as well as working on the bookkeeping. Soon after he arrived at JWOC it became clear that he has a natural talent for community education and he is now an instrumental part of developing our educational programmes. Vantha also spends a great deal of his time at JWOC helping to coordinate and develop the Microfinance programme. Finally, he is a great source of all round extra support for the Managing Directors.
He moved to Siem Reap in 2002 and is currently studying Economics at the University of South-East Asia. He really enjoys working for JWOC as a not-for-profit organization as he hopes he can use his skills to help Cambodians in the countryside and local communities.
Assistant Microfinance Project Manager
Boret Ream
Boret started working at JWOC in September 2009. Boret finished his bachelor in Finance & Banking at Build Bright University in Siem Reap in 2009. Before joining the JWOC team he was worked as a Junior Operations Assistant at Travel Indochina.
Boret moved from Banteay Meanchey to Siem Reap in 2004 to continue his studying at University. Because he likes Micro-Finance, he studied Finance & Banking at University with the hope of being able to work with NGOs that provide financial services to the poor communities. He is very happy therefore, to be able to contribute his skills to JWOC’s Micro-Finance Project.
Graduate Intern / Clean Water Assistant Project Manager
Sokhorn Yan
Sokhorn was born in Battambang city and he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree of Education in English (majoring in English for Communication) at the University of Management and Economics (UME) in Battambang. Before working at JWOC, Sokhorn worked for a number of years as an English teacher. Since becoming an Intern / Assistant Project Manager at JWOC in October 2009 he has been working hard to help his community. He has a strong desire to work to develop educational programmes to help people and is currently responsible for the Clean Water project at JWOC. He hopes to make the most of his opportunity at JWOC to train to become a good project manager in the future.
Graduate Intern / Free Classes Assistant Project Manager
Somit Mat
Somit is originally from Kompong Thom province. As a previous JWOC university scholarship student, he graduated in September 2009 with a major in Tourism and Hospitality Management from Build Bright University in Siem Reap. During his time at university, Somit worked in various places including the Mandalay Inn, The Angkoriana Hotel and most recently as a Credit Agent in Thaneakea Phum Cambodia Microfinance Company. He also volunteered as part of his scholarship on the Clean Water and Free Schools projects.
At JWOC, Somit is enjoying the opportunity to continue helping his community and learn from managing each project. He is now responsible for the Free Classes Project and he loves his job!
Laos Community Director
Nicole LongAfter working odd jobs in New York City for six years, Nicole was ready to pursue one of her life long dreams: traveling. During her first trip abroad to Thailand and Lao P.D.R. a few years ago, she instantly fell in love with the people and culture and couldn't wait to return to Southeast Asia. Traveling was not the single reason she wanted to return to Southeast Asia, more importantly she felt the need and desire to expend her energy helping the people she came to admire.
She gratefully now has the opportunity to do just that in Lao P.D.R. She will be heading JWOC's mission to continue projects that improve the lives of individuals seeking assistance for the development of themselves and their communities. She is excited about the challenges of the work ahead and immersing herself in the Laotian culture.
Myanmar Community Director
Tin HtunTin has been with JWOC since 2008 and was an instrumental part in the community relief efforts JWOC made to help the villages and people destroyed by Cyclone Nargis. He gives much of his free time and energy to help the people from his country who are in need.
Born and raised in a village on the northern frontier of Myanmar, Tin studied English literature in Mandalay University and earned a degree. Thirsty to have a more adventurous life, he decided to move further south to Yangon where he completed his M.A in Interdisciplinary Southeast Asia Study Program.
